How to motivate remote teams?

Posted on  

December 15, 2022

Published by: Codemonk

Motivating remote workers is a critical aspect of managing a remote team. Most of the workforce comprises employees who work at least part of the time remotely, so managers must understand how to motivate their remote workers.

Remote workers have unique challenges, but they also bring many benefits to a company. With the right tools and strategies in place, managers can ensure that they keep their remote workforce engaged and motivated.

In this article, we'll look at eleven methods that help keep your remote team motivated and focused.

Top 11 ways to motivate remote teams

1. Give your team the right tools

Tools can provide a sense of community and connection for your remote team. It's important to ensure that each team member has access to all the tools they need. 

Here are five tools that are important for remote teams:

Slack: This messaging app allows you to send messages, share files, and collaborate on projects with your team in real-time.

Google Drive: Google's cloud storage service lets teams easily store and share documents with their team members and edit them collaboratively.

GitHub: If you're working on code, GitHub is an excellent tool for storing your code in the cloud so that other people on your team can access it easily. 

Trello: It helps manage tasks and projects, create boards and assign cards to team members. It's easy to use and has great mobile apps.

Asana: For keeping track of tasks assigned to specific people or teams on projects. 

2. Find ways to recognize good work and reward employees

It's important for remote workers to feel like their hard work is being recognized and rewarded. While it might not be possible to give out awards or bonuses at every turn, managers can still find other ways to show appreciation for good work. 

Virtual badges are a great way to recognize your employees' accomplishments and encourage them to keep up the good work. They don't cost much and are easy to implement across all platforms, so they're great for remote teams with different devices and operating systems.

3. Establish clear communication

It's important for everyone on the team to understand what success looks like for their role and how they can contribute to that success. You can provide updates on projects, goals, and performance to make sure everyone knows how they're doing.

Also, if a teammate can't get in touch with you, they might feel like they're on their own, which can lead to stress and burnout.

That's why everyone needs access to multiple ways of reaching out: email, text messaging, Google Hangouts, etc.

4. Develop a healthy collaborative environment with regular check-ins

When people work remotely, it's easy to get lost in their projects and lose track of what others are working on. It's also easy for them to feel like they don't have the same access to information as they would if they were all in one location. 

To avoid problems, set up regular meetings or check-ins where everyone can share what they've accomplished recently and what they plan to work on next. You can also set up Slack channels or other ways for remote workers to communicate more efficiently than email alone.

5. Invite input with feedback forms/survey tools

If you want to know what's on your employees' minds, ask them! Use a feedback form or survey tool like Typeform to get their thoughts on anything from company policies to ideas for new products. 

Through feedback, you'll get an idea of what motivates each person on your team, and then you can use that information to create a more well-rounded team culture. Also, make sure nobody gets left out of the discussion.

6. Build a culture of trust and respect

Trust and respect are essential in any workplace, but they're especially important in remote teams because there's no physical office space to foster these feelings. 

It's important for employees at all levels of the company to feel like their contributions are valued and that their managers and colleagues alike respect them. Make sure everyone knows how much you value their contribution—both with words and actions—so that everyone feels like an important part of the team.

7. Celebrate your team's accomplishments

It might seem obvious, but celebrating your team members' successes is an important part of motivating them. They will keep doing great work when they know you appreciate what they have done.

The best way to celebrate accomplishment is through recognition and rewards programs for exceptional performance or for going above and beyond what was initially expected.

8. Incentivize milestones and achievements

People want to feel they're working toward something. By rewarding your team with incentives for reaching certain milestones or achieving certain goals, you show that you appreciate their hard work and dedication. 

You can use incentives to keep motivation levels high during stress or difficulty. So, create a system that rewards employees for their accomplishments. For example, you can give points for completing a project or reaching certain milestones in their jobs. You can also give out prizes and gifts for reaching certain levels of points.

9. Encourage autonomy/self-management among your remote workers

The most effective way to motivate remote employees is to give them autonomy over their workday and let them take ownership of their assignments. This approach encourages engagement because it gives them more control over how they complete their tasks—making them feel more invested in their performance and better able to decide how best to get things done.

As long as your remote team does well, you shouldn't have any problems with this method of motivation. It also allows employees to grow as individuals while they work at your company.

10. Offer them opportunities for advancement

Remote workers often feel like they're stuck where they are—which isn't true, but it's an issue that needs addressing. Be sure to offer remote employees opportunities for advancement as part of your broader strategy for employee development. 

For example, if a project requires someone from another department or location, consider offering the opportunity to someone who works remotely. This will show your team that you value their contributions and recognize their potential for growth within the company.

11. Share the big picture

Remote teams may have difficulty seeing the forest while looking at trees. Even with an up-to-date project schedule, remote employees may not understand what all their tasks contribute to.

Every team member must know the company's goals and objectives. This can be done by sharing a high-level company roadmap and ensuring everyone understands how they fit into the bigger picture. This will help them feel more connected and invested in their work.

Build your organization's success around motivated remote teams

Remote work experience is beneficial for both the employer and employees. With the right approach, you should get a solid performance out of your remote team members. Moreover, you can use your software and communication tools to help them perform better than they ever would have. 

It's important to remember that this is a long-term investment, not something that will happen overnight. You need to be patient and consistent in your efforts to see results.

Notchup is committed to assisting companies in finding the right talent for remote teams. The platform provides innovative features to assist you in creating highly effective, cross-border teams.

Follow our updates

DiscordTwitterLinkedInTelegramGithubDribleFacebookInstagram

Further readings

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
FAQS

Frequently asked questions

How do you energize a remote team?

Down Arrow

You can do a few key things to energize a remote team: First, it's important to keep the lines of communication open and encourage team members to interact with each other regularly. This can be done through regular check-ins, team-building exercises, and social events. Secondly, it's important to give team members the autonomy to work on their projects and set their own goals. This will help them feel empowered and motivated to do their best work. Finally, showing your team members that you trust and value their work is important. This can be done through regular feedback, recognition, and appreciation. By following these tips, you can create a positive and energizing environment for your remote team.

What is the number 1 motivator for employees?

Down Arrow

The number 1 motivator for employees is recognition. When employees feel appreciated for their hard work, they are more likely to be motivated to continue putting in the extra effort. Additionally, recognition can be a powerful tool for inspiring employees to reach new performance levels.

Down Arrow

How do you manage a team remotely?
Down Arrow

You can do a few key things to manage remote teams effectively and get the best out of your remote product teams. Set clear expectations and goals for each team member. What do you expect them to accomplish? What deadlines need to be met? Be sure to communicate these expectations. Establish regular check-ins and touchpoints. This could be a weekly video call or a daily chat. The important thing is that you have a way to check in on progress and offer feedback. Make use of project management tools to help everyone stay organized and on track. Things like Trello or Asana can significantly help keep everyone coordinated.

Down Arrow

Partners in success
Down Arrow

<Client quote carousel?>